Life-saving harness for the use of firemen



2 Sheets-Sheet 1;

(No Model.)

G. F. GRIFFIN.

LIFE SAVING HARNESS FOR THE USE OF PIREMEN.

.555. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

WITNESEJEE.

N. PETERS, Pholwulbographer. Wahingmn. D. C.

(No Model.) 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. e. F. GRIFFIN. LIFE SAVING HARNESS FOR THE USE OF FIRFMIIN.

No. 393,555 Patented Nov. 27. 1888.

N. PErEns. Phmo-Lkhognphar. Wan-Huston. 5.0

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. GRIFFIN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIFE-SAVING HARNESS FOR THE USE OF FIREMEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,555, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed August 15, 1888. Serial No. 282,823, (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a LifeSaving Harness for the Use of Firemen and others in Lifting and Rescuing Persons from Dangerous Localities, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my life-saving harness in position upon a fireman. Fig. 2 is a view of the said harness with the lifting straps hooked to both the front and back portions of the same.

The rescue of persons from burning buildings and other dangerous localities is often at tended with much difficulty, for the reason that the free movements of the arms and legs of the fireman or other person attempting the rescue are seriously interfered with by the person being carried, rendering it often very difficult for the rescuer to climb out of a window or door or pass down or up a ladder.

My invention has for its object to provide a life-saving harness or appliance of simple construction which can be easily adjusted upon the shoulders of the wearer, and by means of which he can readily pick up and carry out a person without having to use his arms to sup port the load thus carried.

To this end my invention consists in a harness composed of bands connected together to form a yoke or main portion, which fits over the shoulders and rests upon the breast and back of the wearer, in combination with lifting-straps connected therewith at the back and adapted after being passed around the person to be carried to be hooked to the front side of the said harness, whereby the person being carried is closely strapped to the rescuer, whose arms and legs are thus left entirely free and unimpeded, so that he can use them to the best possible advantage in escaping with his load, as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the said drawings, A represents the yoke or main portion of theharness, which is adapted to pass over the head and fit upon the shoulders of the wearer. This yoke is composed of two bands, I) c, the band I) being looped or doubled to lit over one shoulder of the wearer and extending down diagonally across the breast and back to the waist, where its two ends are connected together by a piece of leather, 0!, while the shorter band, 0, is secured at its opposite ends to the band b in such man ner as to rest upon the opposite shoulder, the head passing through the loop formed by the two bands.

The piece (I is provided with a socket, f, for a hammer, ax, or maul, and on each side of the socket f is preferably formed a smaller socket for a hose-spanner. A light strap, 9, is preferably attached to the socketpiece (I, said strap being buckled around the waist to steady the tool socket and keep it in place.

The front and back portions of the yoke or main portion A are each provided with a se ries of rings, h, arranged one above the other, as seen in Fig. 2, and to the rings at the back portion are secured two stout lilting straps, B B, which are provided with snap-hooks 7;, adapted to hook onto the said rings. The op posite ends of the lifting-straps are also provided with snap-hooks Z, which are adapted to engage with or hook onto the rings I), attached to the front portion of the harness.

'l'n nsi ng theabove-described appliance, when a fireman or other person wearing the same enters a burning building or other dangerous locality to rescue a person therein he simply passes the free ends of the lifting-straps B 13 around the person to be rescued and hooks them onto the rings h on the front side of the harness, the upper strap passing under the arms of the person to be carried and the lower strap around or just below the buttocks, the person being thus strapped up closely to the rescuer, who can then raise and carry the load without having to use his arms to support the weight. The person can thus be raised and carried with ease, the lifting-straps being so attached to the main portion of the harness as to distribute the weight and strain of the load equally over the front and back of the wearer, leaving him the free use of his arms and legs, so that he can easily pass out of a window or door, or down or up a ladder, or elsewhere, the load being suspended from him in such a manner that it will draw downward equally at the front and back, thus avoiding any interference with the movement of hisarms and legs, which are thus free to be used as required in making his escape, whereby the operation of carrying the person being rescued to a place of safety is greatly facilitated.

The rings hare arranged one above the other, as shown, to enable the lifting-straps to be hooked in different positions to adapt them for encircling persons of different sizes or girths, it being desirable that the person being rescued should be strapped up as tightly as possible to the person wearing the harness, and it will be obvious that by making the liftingstraps entirely detachable from the harness and providing the latter both at the front and back with a series of rings arranged one above the other, as shown, the harness can be shifted to bring the tool-sockets on either side to adapt it to be worn by a right or left handed person, either side of the harness forming the front portion, according to the position of the tool-sockets, and a series of rings being thus always found upon the front side to admit of closely hooking up the lifting-straps, as required. If, however, the harness were made for the use of one person only, and not for the use of both right and left handed persons, the liftingstraps could be permanently secured to the back portion of the harness, and the front portion only be provided with a series of rings for the hooks at the free ends of the straps.

The harness is preferably formed of bands of stout woven webbing, but leather or other suitable material may be used instead, if desired. Instead of attaching the snaphooks to the lifting-straps and the rings to the yoke the rings may be attached to the liftingstraps and the hooks to the yoke. I do not, however,

confine myself to the use of snap hooks and rings for connecting the lifting-straps with the main portion of the harness, as it is obvious that any other suitable detachable connecting devices may be used instead.

The above described harness can be used to great advantage by a hoseman for securing himself to a ladder, as the lifting-straps can be passed around the sides of the ladder and hooked in front, when it will hold him securely in place and prevent him from being accidentally thrown off. The harness can also be employed in taking a line of hose or other load up a ladder or elsewhere.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the yoke or main portion composed of the two bands I) 0, secured together and adapted to fit over the shoulders and rest upon the breast and back of the wearer, and having a series of rings, h, on both the front and back portions, of the detachable lifting-straps B B, each attached at one end by means of a hook to one of the rings at the back portion of the harness, and provided at its other end with a hook for engagement with one of the rings on the front side of the same, substantially as described.

2. The main portion of the harness composed of the looped band I), closed at the bottom and adapted to rest upon one shoulder and extend downward to the waist, and provided at its lower end with one or more sockets for tools, and the band 0, secured to the band I) at both ends, and adapted to restupon the other shoulder, the two forming a yoke through which the head is passed, and said harness having a series of rings on both the front and back portions, whereby it is adapted to be shifted to bring the tool-sockets on the right or left hand side, in combination with the detachable lifting-straps B B, attached to the main portion at the back and adapted to be hooked to the front of the harness, substantially as set forth.

WVitness my hand this 11th day of August, A. D. 1888.

GEO. F. GRIFFIN.

In presence of- P. E. TESOHEMAOHER, HARRY W. AIKEN. 

